Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-24
Standard says, suddenly; "Missus,

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and says "0h, yes, I've rode great
deal when ! was n girl but I'm That
tired now and feel 30 weak that cant
sit up" She thought he was wonder
ing at her leaning against him 10 heavy.
But that wasn't what Standard was
thinking. He knew himself what
it was TO sway, nearly TO fall
ing straight out of the saddle, from
fatigue and want OF food and water.
No, he was thinking of plan for the
next day. When they got to the creek
he sets the woman down, and hobbies
Lady, and gives her mouth q
sponge ont and q bit Of q rub, to last till
be could see her when she was cool.
Then he got some sticks and dry gcase
mo fear of the wood being wet in u hot
season hereabout) together for a fire.
and as soon as il burns up puts the billy
over it. Then he hunted IN his kit for
q tin CT milk he'd got--not TO put in
bis tea, but to use for butter He
thought it would I've just the
thing for the woman, seeing she'd
to nurse the child. She had q
shole pannikin full OF warm milk
did her a power Of good /; and when
he'd got her TO eat a bit Of sopped
bread, and had his own tea, he gave her
towel and told her she'd feel better
for washing her face and hands, and
that the creek was safe 10 DO it in. He
went off to see to Lady, and before he
went he put his comb and bit of look
ing-glass lie carried where she could
see EN-, and take them il she liked.
He was always a hit of a dandy. But
he didn't say nothing to her about the
comb and glass, because, beings bach
elor, of course he felt delicate about
suggesting, as her hair was hanging oil
down her back in two long, fair plaits.
Standard used to say it was prettiest 80,
to his mind, but he thought she'd feel
vcxed il she knew he noticed it. SO he
just put the bit of glass handy and took
himself of,
When he came back, he says, he
found the baby asleep and smoothed
and tidied somehow, and the woman
as neat as q pin-women are so clever
at Strengthening themselves-and the
pannikin and that washed up, and the
fire raked together. The woman sat
there with her needle-book on her
knee-she had it in a pocket, she
says-sewing up tear in her frock,
where it had caught in one of the sad
die buckles. Standard didn't say no.
thing much that night, but he had
made up his mind, and, after making
shelter of branches and fern and seen
the mother and baby laid down un
der it one side of the FIRE, he
stretched himself on the other side,
with his head on the mail-bags, and
thought out what he'd decided TO do.
The woman and child must get to Gun
daroo, and before the next night, too :;
so must the mails. Lady could
carry them well enough, but she
couldn't carry him as well. Very well !;
then he'd stay behind and walk.
Lady would go along the track
through the forest alone, he knew, and
if only the girl would have the pluck to
trust herself to the mare and Just sit
still and holdthe reins they'd all get to
Gundaroo safe as n church. She could
then deliver up the bags ut the post
Office and tell them to send out a search
party to look after her husband and his
chum and u horse to meet him.
He knew he was sure to get into
trouble with the authorities for rsking
it, especially If it failed and he knew,
too, that it WIS no fun to be left to
walk through the forest in riding boots
and breeches and with nothing but
few biscuits and pistol. The water
barr'l he meant to fill and fix in its
place behind the saddle, and the rest of
the tin of milk and the bread (damper,
Of course, you know and the timed
meat. Women needed deal of feed
ing, especially when they'd baby to
feed, too, he thought. And she must
take one of the pistols.
His chief fear was she'd be too soft
hearted to- like to leave him behind, and
vet he knew it couldn't be done under
a couple of days, or more likely four if
they tried to go altogether. Though
he said, damn her Maiesty's mails ="
he daren't delay 'em so long, for all
that. "Damning" wouldn't hurt 'em
or him either, but delaying 'em would
be the very devil for them aud him,
too!
As soon as 1t was light he set to work
separating the things he was going to
keep from those he was going to send
on with the "Royal She-mal, " as he
called her in joke to himself. He looked
ct the two sleeping the other side OF
the fire under the open sky. The kid
was comfortable enough, Graded in soft
AIMS; but the mother was lying just
about as uncomfortably as it's possible
to lie, so as to shelter the child. Stand
ard, who noticed everything, made
note of this, and thought he'd work on
her maternal feelings most to get her to
go on in the morning.
after he'd fed Lady, about >
o'clock, he groomed her up in style,
for, he used to say, he must have the
horse that carried the "Royal She
mail" as smart as possible. Later on,
when he saw the woman, after her
nights rest, in the fresh early morn
ing, and had got her to eata bit OF break
fast, be was quite pleased to see how
much better she looked.
He'd a great work, he said, to make
her go without bin, though she wasn't
a hit afraid for herself. He had to say
he shouldn't be so far behind, and
swear he could walk pretty nearly as
fast as Lady d go, and so on He
showed her bow to fire the pistol, and
told her to let Lady choose the way
if she felt doubtful about the track
among the gum trees. OF course he
cheered herup all he could, though feel
ing bad at letting a woman and baby
go alone all that way. You sec there
were bushrangers to be feared then.
He was afraid to say much about
taking care of the mails for
fear Of frightening her. He just
said, there they was, in front OF the
saddle, and that she must take 'em
straight to the Office and not let any one
but the people of the office touch them.
Then he told her about sending the two
parties back to meet him and her hus-
band. He said-as he saw her sitting
so easily in the saddle and the baby
lying in her lap, tied to her by her
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